Hasp-latch



No. 751,658. PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904. I. L. LANDIS.

HASP LATCH.

APPLIOA'IION FILED JAN. 5, 1903.

NO 'MODEL.

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Patented February 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ISRAEL L. LANDIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HASP-LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,658, dated February9, 1904.

Application filed January 5, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsRAEL L. LANDIS, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hasp-Latches, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to gravity locks or door-fastenings, andparticularly to that kind of temporary door-latching devices whereinsome form of pivoted bolt is adapted to fall into or a hinged or rigidhasp is adapted to be forced into engagement with a catch or stop.

My invention contemplates the simplest form of door-latching meansadapted, primarily, to serve as an easily-disengaged temporary fasteningto insure sagainst accidental opening of the door, at the same timeprovided with means whereby additional safeguarding and more securelocking devices of various common forms may be employed when desired.

The object of the invention in addition to providing an exceedinglysimple and inexpensive door-latch is to construct a catch or stop memberthereof the parts of which may be varied in relative positions to permitof its being employed either as a movable gravity-controlled latchautomatically engaging a fixed hasp or as a relatively fixed catchengaging automatically or otherwise a pivoted or movable hasp.

My invention consists generally in a latchhook pivotally mounted upon asuitable plate and normally held perpendicular thereto, said hook beingremovable with reference to said plate, whereby the former may serveeither as a fixed stop adapted to engage a pivoted gravity-hasp or as apivoted gravity-stop adapted to engage a substantially fixed hasp.

My invention further consists in the various details of construction andin combinations of parts, all as hereinafter described, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and inwhich Figurel is a side elevation of a latching device embodying myinvention, the hook por- Serial No. 137,932. (No model.)

tion being adjusted in the plate to serve as a vertically-movable catch,the hasp being hinged and moved horizontally. Fig. 2 is a view showingthe hook portion reversed and in an opposite position and employed inconnection with a vertically-movable hasp. Fig. 3 differs from Fig. 1only in showing a rigid instead of a hinged hasp. Fig. a is a sideelevation of the plate and hook, the latter being adjusted in the plateto serve as a stationary catch. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through theplate and hook, the latter being shown in a reversed or oppositeposition to that shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a face View of the plateportion of the device. Fig. 7 is a view of the pivot end of the hookshown in Fig. at. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the hook illustrated inFig. at.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, numeral 2 represents the hookportion of the device, the extremity 3 thereof being beveled to providean inclined plane adapted either to raise ahasp, an edge of which ishorizontally forced against it, or to be raised by said hasp when itsposition is reversed. The shank portion 5 of the hook member is reducedto provide the stop or shoulder 4 and terminates in thelaterally-projecting pivots 6 6. Lug or stop recesses 7 may be provided,and I have 'also shown an aperture 8 in the beveled hook portion topermit of the employment of a padlock or other more permanent lockingmeans in the usual manner. The hook memher 2 is pivoted in asupporting-plate 9, having a suitable aperture 10, through which thehook member extends to permit of ready removal and reversal, thehalf-bearings 11 ll permitting of this. removal when the plate isdetached, yet retaining the pivots securely when the device is mountedupon the door jamb or frame. This plate is further provided with astop-lug 12, limiting the downward movement of the hook member andholding the same in a substantially perpendicular position withreference to said plate. Screw-apertures 13 13 permit of the firmsecuring of the plate to the jamb or frame.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, wherein I have illustrated the operation of thedevice, 14 refers to the door-jamb or door-frame, 15 to the door,

16 to a hinged strap or hasp, one wing of which is rigidly secured tothe door, 17 to a plain bar-strap, having a pivot-aperture 18 movablysecured to the door by means of a staple 19, and 20 to an integral rigidhasp, firmly attached to the door. All of these hasps are provided withsubstantially similar apertures 21 21, through which the hook member 2is adapted to extend as engagement is efiected when the door is closed.In all of these views the catch 2 and the plate 9 are represented asidentically the structure shown in side elevation in Fig. 4c, themodification in arrangement consisting merely in a reversal of the hookmember 2 in the plate 9 for the different purposes shown.

In Figs. 1 and 4 my invention is illustrated as embodying the featuresof a hasp-and-staple arrangement, with the hasp omitted in Fig. 4.Without the reduced portion 5, providing the stop at, the device wouldoperate as an ordinary lock-staple, requiring a pin through the aperture8 to hold the hasp in place when temporarily fastening the latch; but,as shown, my device obviates the necessity of providing and using a pin,a portion of the hasp passing over the enlarged portion of the member 2in the usual manner and then dropping behind the stop 1, by means ofwhich it is held. Apadlock or other form of additional safeguard maythen be inserted through the aperture 8. In case of, say, a barn-door,which is fastened during the day-time, so as to be easily openedintentionally by any one and then looked against unauthorized openingduring the night, my invention is a great convenience in that itdispenses with the usual hasp or staple-pin, which is frequently lostand entails the loss of more or less time in its adjustment. With thecombination hookand-lock staple shown it is only necessary to hang thehasp upon the hook. Even this operation may be dispensed with byproviding an additional staple 22, of a configuration to limit thedownward movement of the hasp as well as its movement away from thedoor, permitting of sufficient vertical movement of the freeend to mountthe incline 3 and drop behind the stop 4. With this arrangement thelatch will operate automatically when the door is closed.

Referring to the reversed arrangement of the hook member 2, asillustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, which arrangement is effected bymerely withdrawing the hook member 2 through the aperture 10 andreturning the same to position after reversal, in this position the hookmember 2 must move upward on its pivots to enter the eye of the hingedhasp 16 or the plain fixed hasp 20. With the hinged hasp 16 thefastening operation is partially automatic-that is, the movable wing ofthe Zontal position or normally perpendicular to the plane of the plate9. I prefer to provide the depressions or recesses 7 for the'lug 12,although it is obvious that the top of said lug may be level with thelower edge of the aperture l0 and said recesses dispensed with. The lugor rest 12 may also be extended to the full width of the aperture 10,the lower edge itself being bent forward to provide the stop or rest forthe member 2.

Many modifications of the minor details of my improved hasp-latch willdoubtless readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art towhich it appertains, and I therefore do not desire to limit my inventionto the specific details of construction herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to securebyLetters Patent 1. In a hasp-latch, the combination with a suitableplate of a latch-hook pivotally mounted thereon and normally heldsubstantially perpendicular to the face of said plate, said hook beingremovable and reversible in the same pivotsupport with reference to saidplate.

2. In a hasp-latch, the combination with an apertured plate of a gravitylatch-hook extending through said aperture and pivotally carried by saidplate for partial rotation in a vertical plane, and means upon thepivoted portion of the hook and the plate-bearing limiting the downwardmovement of said latchhook.

8. In a hasp-latch, the combination with an apertured plate of apivoted, gravity latchhook extending through said aperture, havingpartial bearings in a single plane in said plate and removable andreversible with reference thereto, said hook being beveled at its freeend to automatically raise a hasp or be raised thereby, according to therelative adjustment of said hook, to effect engagement with said hasp,and supportingmeans for said latch-hook limiting the downward movementthereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

ISRAEL L. LAN DIS. Vitnesses:

L. F. Coox, F. E. STEWART.

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